Gamecocks Begin Season at J.T. Poston Invitational on Monday

SAPPHIRE, N.C. — South Carolina tees it up for the first time in the 2021-22 season on Monday at the J.T. Poston Invitational. The Gamecocks first tournament of the season, the Scenic City Collegiate (Sept. 20-21) at The Honors Course was canceled due to heavy rain earlier in the week.
 
“It’s always great to be back in Cashiers and playing at Sapphire Valley,” said head coach Bill McDonald. “The golf course is in amazing shape, and it looks like we’re going to have some nice weather. Our guys seem like they’re ready to go and with getting rained out the first event, I’m sure they’re anxious to get going.”
 
It’s the same lineup for Carolina that was set to debut in Tennessee with All-American Ryan Hall and junior Jack Wall in the top two spots in the lineup. North Greenville transfer Evans Lewis will make his debut in Garnet and Black. Sophomore Rafe Reynolds and true freshman Gene Zeigler will be the final two in the lineup after impressive rounds in the team’s final stage of qualifying last week at Columbia Country Club. The highly-touted Zeigler, a Florence native, was the SCJGA’s top-ranked player in the state.
 
Two individuals, sophomore Liam Shinn and freshman Nathan Franks will also compete this week.
 
Western Carolina is the host school this week for the event formerly known as the Hummingbird Intercollegiate.  

Playing at a par-71, 7,007-yard layout, the beautiful Country Club of Sapphire Valley is a private, member-owned club that features a valley golf course, plush clubhouse, state-of-the-art fitness center, and tennis center. The course meanders through the backdrop of mature hardwood forest and the scenic mountains of the southern Appalachians that provide for breathtaking views and a natural setting. The course, which sits on a level valley floor despite its mountainous surroundings, was originally designed by George Cobb and was updated by Bill Bergin.
 
In the team’s previous outing at the event in 2019, Hall picked up his first collegiate win and the team finished runner-up after shooting a school record 806 (-46) thanks to a field-best 70 birdies.
 
It’s a shotgun start and a 36-hole day for the field beginning at 9 a.m. (ET) on Monday morning. Carolina will be paired with the Catamounts and Middle Tennessee State.
 
2021 J.T. Poston Invitational Field
1. Appalachian State
2. Belmont
3. Central Arkansas
4. Chattanooga
5. Clemson
6. Furman
7. Georgia Southern
8. Kennesaw State
9. Mercer
10. Middle Tennessee State
11. Morehead State
12. South Carolina
13. UNCW
14. Western Carolina
15. Wofford
 
2021 J.T. Poston Invitational Gamecock Lineup
1. Ryan Hall
2. Jack Wall
3. Evans Lewis
4. Rafe Reynolds
5. Gene Zeigler
IND. Liam Shinn
IND. Nathan Franks
 
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